Loop retainer for sewing machines



Sept. 29, 1931'. A. ERICSSON LOOP RETAINER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June '7, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 29, 1931. A, ERICSSON 1,825,513

LOOP RETAiNER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 7, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 29, 1931. A. ERICSSON 1,825,513

LOOP RETAINER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 7, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 f M? f J2 la? jam attomw1f Sept. 29, 1931. A, ERICSSON LOOP RETAINER FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed June 7, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? ARVID ERIGSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COM- PANY, OF OHICAGG, ILLINOIS, A CORPORELTIQN OF ILLINOIS LOOP RETAINER FOR SEWING MACHINES Application filed June 7, 1927. Serial No. 197,068.

The invention relates to new and'useful improvements in loop retainers for sewing machines, and more particlularly to a fourmotion loop retainer adapted to cooperate with a fourmotion thread carrying looper for holding the needle thread loop back on the looper to insure proper stitch formation. f I

An object of the invention is to provide a loop retainer which'is so shaped and so operated as to hold the-needle thread loop properly positioned so that the needle will enter the thread triangle in the stitch formation, even though thefabric remain stationary during successive stitch format-ions, or is moved in a direction parallel with the plane of oscillation of the looper as it moves into and out of the needle thread loop.

A further object of the invention is to provide" an actuating mechanism for a loop retainer of the above character, wherein the loop retainer is moved lengthwise of the looper by an actuating member oscillating with the looper, and wherein said loop retainer hasa different timing in the movement imparted thereto than that given the looper.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a retainer operating mechanism of the above type, wherein the retainer is moved laterally of the looper by means independent of the looper actuating mechanism. I

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings. which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention i t Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation, showing a portion of a sewing machine embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in end elevation of a portion of the sewing machine, the end cap of the work support being removed to show the looper and retainer; i

in Fig. 11.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the looper, the retainer and the immediate supporting and actuating mechanisms therefor in plan, the looper and retainer being positioned as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a View in end elevation, showing the needle, the looper and the retainer, and the means for oscillating the loop retainer, the looper being shown fully retracted;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the retainer as positioned so as to hold the needle thread loop and position the same for the entrance of the needle into the thread triangle;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the parts as positioned in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9fis a retainer;

Fig. 10 is a detail in section showing the manner of supporting the retainer linger;

Fig. 11 is a detail in front elevation showing the needle, looper and retainer at the time when the needle point is passing belooper, and

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the parts shown Fig. 13 is a view partly in section and .Showing moreor less diagrammatically the position of the needle thread and looper thread, with the needle all the way up and the looper at the forward end of its stroke.

Fig. 14 is a similar view but showing the needle about to enter between the looper thread and the body of the looper, with the looper thread and needle thread held by the spreader.

Fig. 15 is a View showing the needle all the way down and the looper. at the rear end of its stroke.

Fig. 16 is a view showing the needle on its upward movement and the looper as having moved into the needle thread loop.

The invention is directed broadly to a retainer and an actuating mechanism therefor, which retainer is adapted to hold the needle thread loop back on the looper to insure the entrance of the needle into the thread triangle in the stitch formation. It is well known that the feed when transverse of a thread carrying looper, aids in the spreading of the triangle for the needle to enter. sVhen a fabric is moved in a direction parallel with the plane of oscillation of the looper, it has no movement given thereto, then it is more difficult to bring about a proper concatenation of the needle thread loop with the looper thread loop. The thread carrying looper is of the usual type, and has four motions imparted thereto; an oscillating movement into and out of the needle thread loop and a lateral or needle avoiding movement. The invention is entirely in the loop retainer and the actuating mechanism therefor. The loop retainer is mounted so as to oscillate in a plane parallel with the plane of oscillation of the looperfbut ithas a different timing in its movement, so that it will engage and move the needle'thread loop back on the looper at-theproper time, and so that it will. re-

lease the lcoper'thread loop to permit the loop'tobe shed from the looper and moved to a position to engage the next needle thread loop. The oscillating movements of the loop:retainer are derived from the shaft which supports and oscillates the looper. This is accomplished by'mountlng a cam on the shaft, and providing yoke arms which cooperate with the cam and which move the loop retainer. The loop, retainer is moved laterally across the looper so as to r engage the needle thread loop, and'laterally away from the looper so as to release it. This is accomplished, in. the present embodiment of the invention, by mounting the retainer on a shaft which is independent of the looper supporting shaft, and moving said retainer supporting shaft endwise by a connection with the usual feed bar of the machine.

Referring more in detail to'the drawings, my improvement resides in a stitch forming mechanism including a needle 1, a looper 2 and a needle thread loop retainer The needle thread is indicated at a and the looper thread at Z. These elements are shown as embodied in a machine for sewing on buttons. The construction of the button sewing machine has not been illustrated in the drawings, as the invention is equally adapted to other types of machines. The features of the button sewing machine presented in the drawings are fully shown and described in my eo-pending application Serial No. 192,249, filed May 18, 1927. The needle is vibrated laterally so as to enter first one eye and then another of the button. The fabric does not move during the forming of the stitches; therefore, there is no feed of the material to aid in the opening of the thread triangle to insure proper stitch formation. The loop retainer positions the needle thread loop on the looper well back on the looper, and the shank of the loop at one side of the looper, to a slight extent, and thus it is that the needle point, in its next descent, although the fabric has not been moved, will pass between the shank of the needle thread loop and the body of the looper.

The machine as illustrated in the drawings, includes a work supporting cylindrical arm 1 carrying a throat plate 5 having an opening 6 therethrough, through which the needle passes. The looper 2 is provided with an eye 7 adjacent the point thereof, and an eye 8 at its heel, and with the usual thread groove. The looper isalsoprovided with a notch 9 in its upper face in the region where the retainer passes across the looper to hold the'needle thread loop back on the looper. The looper is mounted on a shaft 10 which extends lengthwise of the work supporting arm 4. On'the end of the shaft, is a sleeve which 1,; fixed thereto, and this sleeve carries a head 11. A carrier 12 for the looper is mounted on this head. The carrier has a center rod which extends into the sleeve and the carrier fits snugly up against the head. It is held against the head and in ad usted positions thereon, by a screw 18 passing through a slot 1% and threaded into the head. The looper is formed intogral with a shank portion 15, and said shank is secured to the carrier 12 by means of a screw 16 passing through a slot 171in-the shank of'the looper. The carrierhas a recess 18 in the face thereof in which the shank fits, and this provides a rigid holding means for the looper. As the shaft oscillates, it will oscillate the looper, and as the shaft moves endwise, it will move the looper laterally, giving a needle avoiding movement thereto.

The loop retainer 3 is mounted on a "re tainer support which consists of a sleeve 19, an elbow arm 20 forn'ied'integral therewith, and a cam arm 21, likewise formed integral with the sleeve 19. The retainer 3 fits in a socket 3 inthe outer end of the elbow arm 20, and is detachably and adjustably held therein by a' set screw 3". The sle re 19 is mounted on a rod or shaft 22. Said rod or shaft carries a collar 23 which is fixed thereto. The sleeve is freely mounted on the shaft so that it can oscillate thereon. It is held from endwise movement, however, on the shaft or rod 22, bymeans of a nut 24- with which is associated a lock nut 25. This rod or shaft 22 extends through a suitable journal bearing on the work supporting arm 1. In a button sewing machine, there is no feed, as the material remains stationary during the formation of the stitches. The feed bar, however, remains on the machine, as shown 111 the drawings, and 1s indicated at 26. This feed bar is given the usual cndwise movement. -Fixed to the.- feed bar is a yoke, The shaft 10 passes freely between the 27. arms 'of the yoke.- The yoke is' rigidly mounted at its lower end on the rodor shaft 22, andis held thereon by a nut 28.

lVhen the feed bar moves endwise through;

elbow arm isindicatedat 3 0, and the active portion of the cam 29 engaging the cam arm 21 is indicated at 31. The cam 29between the active portionsSO and 31, is provided with a concentric face. lVhen the concentric face engages the cam arm 21, the retainer will beheld at a dwell as shown in Fig. 5. During this time, the active portion 30 is moving along theelbow arm in the region between the elbow and the retainer, and

will prevent any overflow of the retainer (see Figures, 5.and .7). When the active portion 30 of the cam 29 engages the elbow arm, it will swing the retainer to the right as viewed in Fig. 3, and the active portion 31 of the cam 29 will move relative to the cam arm to permit this movement of the retainer, The parts are timed so that the followlng movements take place. The looper, moves forward into. the needle thread loop and then comes to a slight dwell, after which it is retracted fromthe needle thread loop. YVhile in theneedle thread loop it is moved laterally for its needle avoiding movement, and this positions the looper so that the needle point will pass alongside of the looper onthe opposite sideofthe looper from which the needle islocated when the looper takes theneedle thread loop. This is the normal operation of a thread carrying looper. The retainer, when the looper is at the forward end of its stroke andffully into the needle thread loop, lies in front of the needle thread l retainer, h i th 1 t i loop on the looper, and the looper thread running from the end of the looper to the material. The looper, at this time, is moved laterally, and the retainer has been given only a portion of its lateral movement. It is now moved across the looper and lengthwise of the looper during the retracting movement of the looper, and when so moved, it will come into engagement with the looper thread running fromthe eye of the looper to. the fabric and theneedle thread loop on the looper. The loopretainer is curved on its face as indicate at in the drawings, and as it moves againstthe looper thread and the needle thread loop,the needle thread loop will slide back on the curved face ofthe retainer, and so willthe looper, thread. As a 10 is a cam result, the looper thread is positioned well back on the retainer, although the point at which, the; looper A thread and the needle thread loop are anchored in the material" down through the fabric, the point will pass between the looper thread indicated at Linthis figure, and the body of the looper. The face 2 of the looper adjacent the needle is cut away so as to provide a clearance for the needle, and this insures that the needle will, with certainty, pass intothe thread triangle formed by the looper thread,the needle thread loop and the body. of the looper. hen the needle is vibrated laterally for its next stitch so as to enter the fabric at min Fig. 12, then of course, it will, with certainty, pass into the thread'triangle therefor. The loop retainer operating upon the needle thread loop tohold it well back on the loop-, er, and operatingupon the looper'thread to hold itwell away from the body of the-looper, insures a perfect stitch formation, even though there is no movement of the fabric, and the needle is reciprocated so as to enter the material at different positions in a dine substantially parallel with the plane of os-. After the needle,

cillation of the looper, V pointis well into the looper thread loop, the

reta ner has no further movement lengths WlSQ of the looper during 1ts retracting,

stroke. Thisgis because the concentric portion on the controlling cam 29 comes into. engagement with the cam arm 21. The re, tainer, however, moves laterally during this completion of the retraction of the looper after the needle point has passed the shank of the looper thread loop. QThis lateral movement ofthe retainer in a direction away from the retainer, causes the needle thread loop to be released, so that it can slide along the looper and off from the.

point of the looper. 1

From the above, it will be apparent that I have provided an operating mechanism for rived from the feed bar in thepresent em bodiment of the invention, and this is entirely independent of the looper supporting shaft. It is true that this feed bar does not feed the material in a button sewing machine, because the material is not to be fed. Any other reciprocatingbar may be used for. imparting the lateral movements to the retainer, but it should be which has substantiallythe timing ofrthe feed bar in its endwise movements. The'essential feature is that the retainer shall have a move-- ment laterally across thelooper so as to engagethe needle thread loop, and away from the looper to release the needle thread loop, all inthe proper tiining to permit the needle to properly pass the shank of the needle thread loop, and permit the needle thread loop to be shed from the looper.

\Vhile I have described my stitch forming mechanism with an improved loop retainer as particularly adapted to use in a machinefor sewing on buttons, and wherein the needleis vibrated laterally, it will be understood, of course, that it may be used in other types of machines, and will be of particular value in a machinewhere the'feed is in a direction parallel with the'plane of oscillation of the looper, so that the movements of the fabric cannot be utilized in the opening of the thread triangle for the needle.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what [claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating therewith, a supportfor said looper adapted to oscillate and move endwise, a. retainer for engaging the looper, an actuating member mounted on said looper support, and devices cooperating therewith for moving said retainer lengthwise of the looper, and means for tmoving said retainer laterally of the looper.

2. The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating therewith, a support for said looper adaptedto-oseillate and move endwise, a retainer for engaging land holding the needle thread loop back on the looper, an actuating member mounted on said looper support, devices cooperating therewith for moving said retainer lengthwise of the looper, and means formoving 1 said retainer laterally of the looper, said last-named means bemg lndependent of the looper support.

The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating therewith, a support for said looper adapted to oscillate and move endwise, aretainer for engaging and holding the needle thread loop back on the looper, an actuating member mounted on said looper support, devices cooperating therewith for moving said retainer lengthwise of 'the looper, and-ineans for moving said retainer laterally of the looper, said devices for-oscillating the retainer-being constructed so as to positively move the retainen and impart a differentmovement and holding the needle thread loop back on thereto than that given to the looper by the looper support;

4. The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper, a sup ort for said looper adapted to oscillate and move endwise, a. retainer, an independent support for the retainer adaptedto oscillate and move endwise, means carried by the looper support for oscillating the support for the retainer, and means independent of the looper support for moving-thesupport for the retainer endwise.

5; The combinationof a needle, a thread carrying looper, a support for said looper adapted to oscillate and move endwise, a retainer, an independent support for the retainer adapted to oscillate and move end wise, means carried by the looper support for oscillating the support for the retainer, means independent of the looper support for moving the support for the retainer endwise, said means for oscillating the retainer including a controlling cam, and devices co operating therewith for imparting a positive movement to the'retainer which is different in character fromtheoscillation imparted to the looper by the looper support.

6. The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper, a support for the looper adapted'to oscillate and move endwise, a retainer, an independent support for the retainer substantially parallel with the support for the looper, means independent of the looper support for moving said support for-the retainer endwise, a controlling cam carried by the looper support, said retainer support including an elbow. arm cooperating.

withsaidcamat one side thereof, and a cam arm cooperating with said cam at the other side thereof, whereby said retainer support is givena positive oscillation of a different character from the oscillations imparted to the looperor thelooper support.

7. The combination of a needle, a thread carrying looper, a support for the looper adapted to oscillate and move endwise, a retainer, a'support for the retainer adapted to oscillate and move endwise, means carried by the looper support for oscillating said retainer, means independent. of the looper support for moving said support for the retainer endwise, said means being constructed and timed so as to move said retainer lengthwise of the looper into engagement with the needle thread loop thereon, thence laterally, away from the looper to release the needle thread loop.

8. The combination of a work supporting arm, a looper shaft extending lengthwise thereof and adapted to oscillate and move 1J5 endwise on said arm, a thread carrying looper rigidly-fixed to the end of said looper supporting shaft, a supporting rod mounted insaid work supporting arm and adapted to moveendwise therein, a retainer mounted so LL v as to oscillate on said rod, said retainer including an elbow arm and a cam arm, and a controlling cam fixed to the looper shaft and located between said elbow arm and said cam arm for positively oscillating said retainer.

9. The combination of a work supporting arm, a looper shaft extending lengthwise thereof and adapted to oscillate and move endwise on said arm, a thread carrying looper rigidly fixed to the end of said looper supporting shaft, a supporting rod mounted in said work supporting arm and adapted to move endwise therein, a retainer mounted so as to oscillate on said rod,said retainer including an elbow arm and a cam arm, a controlling cam fixed to the looper shaft and located between said elbow arm and said cam arm for oscillating said retainer, said con trolling cam having an active part adapted to engage the cam arm for oscillating the retainer in one direction, and a concentric portion adapted to engage said cam arm and give a dwell to the retainer.

10. The combination of a work supporting arm, a looper shaft extending lengthwise thereof and adapted to oscillate and move endwise on said arm, a threadcarrying looper rigidly fixed to the end of said looper supporting shaft, a supporting rod mounted in said work supporting arm and adapted to move endwise therein, a retainer mounted so as to oscillate on said rod, said retainer including an elbow arm and a camarm, a controlling cam fixed to the looper shaft and located between said elbow arm and said cam'arm for oscillating said retainer, said controlling cam having an active part adapted to engage the cam arm for oscillating the retainer in one direction, and a concentric portion adapted to engage said cam arm and give a dwell to the retainer, said controlling cam having an active part adapted to engage said elbow arm for oscillating the retainer in the opposite direction.

11. The combination of athread carrying looper, a needle adapted to'vibrate laterally in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of oscillation of the'looper when entering the needle thread loop, a retainer, means for actuating said retainer for causing the same to engage the looper thread and needle thread loop and move the same laterally relative to the body of the looper so as to insure that the needle in both of its positions of reciprocation will pass between the looper thread and the needle thread loop, on the one hand, and the body of the looper on the other.

12. The combination of a thread carrying looper, a needle adapted to vibrate laterally in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of oscillation of the looper when entering the needle thread loop, a retainer, means for actuating said retainer for causing the same to engage the looper thread and needle thread loop and move the same laterally relative to the body of the looper so as to insure that the needle in both of its positions of reciprocation will pass between the looper thread and the needle thread loop, on the one hand, and the body of the looper on the other, said retainer having the face thereof engaging the threads curved away from the threads and positioned so that the inclination of the face of the retainer will urge the threads thereon away from the body of'the looper. 13. The combination of a needle, a three carrying looper cooperating therewith, a retainer disposed in a line substantially at right angles to the body of the looper, means for actuating said retainer for causing the same to engage the looper thread and the needle thread loop and move the same laterally relative to the body of the looper so as to insure that the needle will pass between the looper thread and the needle thread loop on the one hand, and the body of the looper on the other, said retainer having the face thereof engaging the threads curved away from the threads and positioned so that the inclination of the face of the retainer will urge the threads thereon away from the body of the looper. In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

ARVID ERICSSON. 

